Think of practical need buying submarines

Sin Chew Daily, Asia News Network, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia signed a contract with French warship builder, DCN International and Spanish shipmaker, Izar, to acquire two Scorpene submarines at a cost of more than RM3.1 billion for the Royal Malaysian Navy. It is nevertheless the biggest defense purchase exercise carried by the Defense Ministry despite nearly half of the cost would be in the form of counter trade of palm oil under a counter purchase and offset arrangement.

Just a month ago, the government announced a RM2.1 billion bill for Malaysian defense purchase at Defense Services Asia 2002 Exhibition (DSA 2002) held in Kuala Lumpur from April 8 to 11. Fighter planes, vessels, missiles, armored vehicle, ammunition and artillery were on the military shopping list.

The procurement of Scorpene submarines, together with other that are still under negotiation, including heavy duty PT91 tanks from Poland, Sokhai warplanes from Russia, and FA18 fighter planes from the United States, it could not be said that the sudden upshot of defense spending would not add pressure to the public coffer.

Malaysian economy had witnessed the first bud of its recovery, but there is still a long way to go for full recovery. Utilization of national resources should be prudent at this stage as we sill have the burden of foreign debts. Priority and consideration for limited resources should be channeled to building of life quality of the people, enhancement of human resources, social hardware and other areas which directly affecting life quality of the people.

Defense spending should be restricted to the practical need of the nation, and reduced gradually. Asia and the Pacific are relatively peaceful and free of Cold War and Communist threat. No visible aggressive neighbor has emerged. The differences among the member countries of Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) were still within the confinement of peaceful co-existence: It would not lead to war. The super powers beyond ASEAN -- including China, Japan, Russia and the U.S. -- stressed peace: They would not pose a danger to Malaysian security.

No doubt we should be complacent, but the only visible threat come from terrorism and illegal immigrants, which could be dealt with by overall preventive measures. The job could be done by conventional arsenal and intensified patrol; there would be no place for the expensive and high-tech submarines, fighter planes or tanks.

There must be certain reason that the government embarked on modernization program for our defense makeup. But modernization program is a on going business: it never stops. It might be better off if arsenal would be gradually phased out than making a huge purchase at one goes.

Speaking at the 16th Asia-Pacific Roundtable meeting in Kuala Lumpur on June 3, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said military enhancement by major powers in the Asia Pacific region would not solve all problems or yield the security they seek. He stressed that overwhelming military power would not deter or protect against terror but instead it merely aggravates suspicion and tensions between countries.

The Deputy Prime Minister had hit the nail on the head by what he said: It underscored our security need. Enhancement of dialogue between countries, promotion of mutual understanding, closer cooperation should be the avenues to be adopted by nations in the modern world when dealing with each other. Arm race aggravates suspicion and tensions between countries and quicken the steps of real war.

All in all, we do not need lavishly purchase of enormous amount of military hardware. The government should consider prudently the purchase of two submarines costing more than RM 3 billion properly might not be practical viewed from national economic and security need.